There are a number of things you might be doing wrong as regards your oral hygiene practices or your oral health in general that you’re unaware of. In this post, we’ll be discussing five of these things which are:
1. Using a hard textured toothbrush: It is an erroneous belief that the harder the toothbrush is, the cleaner the teeth get. Using a hard textured toothbrush damages the gums and wears away the enamel. Hence, a medium-textured or soft-textured toothbrush is often recommended by the dentist depending on each individual’s dental needs.
2. Using wooden tooth picks to remove food particles stuck between your teeth: The regular and proper use of dental floss for interdental cleaning is advised for the removal of particles stuck between teeth due to a number of reasons. Improper flossing and use of wooden tooth picks can cause damage to the gums and concurrent development of spaces or openings (pockets) around the teeth under the gum line, where food can pack and cause further damage.
3. Snacking after you brush at night: Tooth brushing should be done twice daily and if you already practice that, well done! Some often ask ‘Can I snack or maybe have a meal after brushing at night?’ No, you can’t. This act simply negates your tooth brushing effort as brushing at night should be the last thing you do before going to bed. Eating afterwards only provides the oral bacteria with food they can feast on while you sleep. You are only allowed to drink water after brushing at night.
4. Not brushing your tongue: It’s sort of easy to forget to clean the tongue and only clean the teeth especially since it’s termed “tooth brushing”. The tongue requires some cleaning too. The tongue has a rough surface due to the presence of tiny structures (papillae) on it and due to its rough surface tends to harbor particles, food debris, bacteria etc. It contributes to the 90% of oral causes of halitosis (bad breath). It is very important to clean the tongue using your toothbrush, a tongue scraper or other such tongue cleaning devices. The tongue continues a bit farther down your throat, so you might want to stick it out and clean properly. (But try not to scrub too hard)
5. Only visiting your dentist when you have a complaint: You really don’t want to be caught unawares by any oral conditions you might have or possibly be developing. Frequent scheduled visits to the dentist (twice a year) will save you some unforeseen costs and expenses, moneywise and healthwise. You should not wait till something hurts before you visit your dentist. In fact, the best time to visit your dentist is when you have no complaint!
Photocredit: Dental Care Center of Decatur, juniordentist, glomoderndental, solstice